M. Heydari-Malayeri - Paris Observatory

A relatively small and dark cloud of molecules and dust seen silhouetted
against the much brighter → Carina Nebula. It contains
bright filaments of emitting hot gas and is roughly
7 → light-years in size.

→ keyhole; → nebula.
The name was given by the English astronomer Sir John Herschel in the 19th century,
because of the appearance of the nebula in low-resolution telescopes of that
epoch.